When smoke and water damage garments, including clothing, window treatments, bedding, fabrics, textiles and related articles (collectively “garments” and will be referred to as such throughout this document), these garments need to be restored. Conventional restoration processes have been used to try and remove the carbon-based stains, odor causing contaminants, soot, and microbes from smoke and water damaged garments. The known processes include laundering methods, as well as, conventional dry cleaning. Typically, restoration occurs in about 50% to 60% of the total number of garments treated, with restoration occurring when an owner will accept the garment as being fit for use or wear. The garments, which are not accepted, are deemed unfit and discarded. Disposal of such a high percentage of garments is expensive and considered unacceptable. For this reason, it is desired to have a process that restores approximately 90% of all smoke-damaged garments.
Known laundering processes use detergents to clean the smoke and water damaged garments, while dry cleaning processes use conventional chemical compositions associated with dry cleaning. These processes are typically ineffective in restoring smoke and water damaged clothing and, in many cases, cause additional damage to the fabric or dye of such garments. Additionally, even if minimally effective, multiple launderings or dry cleanings of these garments are usually required for restoration. In rare cases is a full restoration achieved, and these multiple launderings or dry cleanings are wasteful of resources and expensive. As such, it is desired to have a process or composition that results in a higher percentage of garments being restored. More particularly, it is desired to have a process that does not require multiple treatments.
Ozone is a bluish colored gas, which is composed of three atoms of oxygen, illustrated as O3. Typically, “oxygen” has two atoms of oxygen, illustrated as O2. O3 is unstable and rapidly decomposes into normal O2. The O3 is known to have good oxidation potential, which translates into desired cleaning of garments. In particular, dirt can be readily removed, similar to washing a garment. Ozone has been previously used in printed circuit board manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, water purification, and food processing. Ozone has also been used as part of known laundry processes. Typically, it has been used to clean hotel bed sheets, as it is comparatively inexpensive and readily disinfects. However, O3 has not been used to remove “smoke” particles from garments. Additionally, ozone compositions typically do not break-down or degrade garments. It should also be pointed out that O3 destroys bacteria and virus, and controls odor.
It is desired to have compositions, methods, and systems for restoring smoke damaged garments. Such process should be available for use in an industrial setting. It is further desired that such invention not be comparatively too expensive. Finally, while removing the “smoke” particles, the garments should not be substantially degraded or faded.